We know from Abe Lincoln that "A house divided cannot stand," but an imbalanced house can't stand either.

According to new research that will be presented this week to the American Sociological Association (ASA), when a couple splits their childcare responsibilities right down the middle, their relationship is likelier to thrive in all aspects — including sex.

Researchers from Georgia State University interviewed nearly 500 heterosexual couples with kids and found that when both the man and the woman each did roughly half of the duties — think diaper changing, book reading, carpooling — they were more satisfied not only with their relationship but also in the bedroom.

"One of the most important findings is that the only childcare arrangement that appears really problematic for the quality of both a couple's relationship and sex life is when the woman does most or all of the childcare," said co-author Daniel L. Carlson, in a press release.

Obviously, there were some limitations: only opposite-sex couples were studied and the measures of childcare were fairly narrow. But the study reinforces something we already know to be true: sharing is caring ... and apparently, really hot, too.